Phoenix: Golf Now platform offers marketing, tracking and reporting
By Terrance Thornton | Digital Free Press
As the scorching temperatures rise in Phoenix — one welcome fact of life for the golfing enthusiast, some might say — is the annual reprieve from the cost of everyday rounds of golf tipping the scales and stretching the wallet.
The municipal courses of Phoenix, which city officials say experiences collectively about 395,000 rounds of golf per year, remains a popular and affordable option for golfers from corner to corner of the Valley of the Sun no matter the weather condition.
But a better digital tee reservation system could be en route to Phoenix golfers, city officials say.
In August 2021, the city of Phoenix issued a request for proposal for a new golf management system for the digital reservation system and most recently local golfers may have been alerted to the pending switch to the Golf365 Pro system, which goes into effect Monday, July 17.
“The contract for the golf management system (tee sheets and point of sale) was ending,” Phoenix Parks and Recreation spokesperson Adam Waltz told the Arizona Digital Free Press. “In August 2021 a new RFP for a Golf Management System was released, after a fair and competitive process Golf365 Pro was selected. The RFP panel evaluated all the features and factors and selected Golf365 Pro.”
Phoenix City Council approved the formal contract award for city staff to execute with NBC Sports Next Golf Now, LLC during its Nov. 17 regular meeting at City Hall, 200 W. Jefferson St.
Found part of the Nov. 17 City Council report on the matter, Deputy City Managers Inger Erickson and Toni Maccarone outline tenets of the requirements for the contract award recommendation.
“The Parks and Recreation Department requires updated golf management software, which will be the new point of sale system for bookings, payment of tee times and purchasing of items,” the report states. “The system will also provide tracking, reporting of revenue streams and serve as an email marketing tool to increase marketing tactics.”
Furthermore, through its internal ranking system, city official report out of 1,000 possible RFP qualification points, the scoring results were are as follows offering insight into the decision-making process:
- NBC Sports Next Golf Now, LLC: 890
- Golf Compete, Inc dba foreUP: 845
The contract is in effect for the next five years and the new contract has zero effect on the General Fund, the City Council report states.
“The five city operated golf courses played 296,000 rounds in fiscal year 2022-23,” Mr. Waltz said.
“If we add our two contracted golf courses, Papago and Grand Canyon University, the rounds played is 407,000 for 2022-23. The five city-operated golf courses played 280,000 rounds the prior fiscal year 2021-2022. If we add our two contracted golf courses, Papago and GCU, the rounds played is 395,000 for 2021-22.”
